Edie's control is all but perfect. She hasn't read a mind she didn't intend to since she was eight. But perfect control only means she doesn't read the contents of minds, it doesn't mean she doesn't observe them existing. And it's useful to skim the surface emotions of the people around her, shallowly enough that nothing connects itself to any specific person--

But she is the daughter of Professor X and Magneto, and a future teacher at the school, and her parents aren't here, so when she feels a point of distress so severe that she can't help but connect it to the mind in question, and it's a mutant mind, it is very much her business. She makes her excuses to the teacher who brought them here (Papa and Dad will understand; better not to get anyone else involved before she knows more), peels off from the group and all but sprints to where the distressed mutant is.

It is not a nice part of town, but no one tries to bother her who she can't take care of without too much distraction.

She knocks.

The door is jerked open, not by the mutant, but a man, who doesn't look all that happy at being disturbed.

The mutant is in the room, on her knees, staring almost blankly at the door. She's shaking, and terrified (nothing has happened yet), and confused about why anyone was even knocking. (She needs the money, even if she doesn't want this.)

(The man has no intention of paying.)

Well.

Shit.

The man can be unconscious and go stand in that corner over there, that's a good lad. Well, no, he's terrible, but he can at least be less inconveniently terrible.

"Hey. I'm not going to ask if you're alright, but--how bad is it?"

She doesn't understand the question. It's...it's not bad? Is it? She could've lost her child, (she would've if she'd stayed). This is better (isn't it?).

"I-" she doesn't look at the woman directly, is only aware that the man isn't coming near her again. "I just need the money," she says eventually, curling in on herself. (She can feel the flames starting to flicker under her skin, clenches her fists tight to try and stop them escaping.)

She looks at her again.

"How old are you?"

She flinches slightly, but...

But you answered questions when you were asked them, and you didn't lie. "Fifteen." (It isn't a lie, she nearly is.)

"Okay. Well, congratulations, I'm an unofficial representative of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youth, and you are hereby invited."

Her gaze briefly jumps to the woman's face, confused, startled (still scared, still not sure). "...not gifted?" she says (barely has an education to speak of). She has no idea what the Xavier Institute even is, and that shows.

"It's a school. For mutants, like you and me."

But- But even if they're both mutants, this woman isn't like Blaze. (Flames flicker over the back of her hand.)

And even if they will take her, she has no (one) way to pay for this. "Price?" she asks. (Everything has a price.)

She sits down beside her.

"Once upon a time, there was a lonely little boy named Charles who could hear what people were thinking. Charles lived in a very big house, and had lots of toys, but he was very sad, because nobody loved him. It was a very big house, but the only other people there were servants, who saw him as nothing but a job to do, and his mother, who had only had him because his father, now dead, wanted it, and who was most often to be found at the bottom of a bottle. Charles knew all these things, no matter how people smiled at him, because he was a mutant telepath, and at that age, not hearing what people are thinking is difficult.

One day, Charles was woken in the night by a sound. He went down to the kitchen to find someone wearing his mother's face, but he knew it wasn't his mother, and told them so. She shrank down to a little girl, even younger than he was. She had been looking for something to eat, you see, because her parents threw her out because her skin was blue and scaly and she could change her shape. She said her name was Raven, and he adopted her as his sister and told her he would never have to steal to eat again.

Charles wasn't lonely anymore, and Raven wasn't hungry, but they never forgot. When they grew up, they found more of their kind--our kind--and started the school, so no mutant child would have to be hungry or lonely again. Not if they could help it. And they can't, always, they can't find everyone who needs them--but when we do find them, we try to bring them home.

Anyway, don't worry if your powers are hard to control, my friend Scotty has eye lasers he can't turn off, so they invented him special goggles. Whatever's hard to deal with about your power, we can figure something out."

That...sounds. Wonderful. And- (not real.)

And maybe it would be somewhere she could... One hand rests on her stomach. Whatever the price is (and there has to be more of one than she's being told), it'll be worth it if her baby is safe.

She doesn't really have many other options. But... "if I say no?" (She doesn't think it's an option, saying no never is, but she...wants to hear it.)

The flames on her hand surge.

"Then I pick that guy's pocket, give you all the cash he had on him, and send him away. He wasn't planning to pay you."

Her hands come up to grasp at her hair, tugging a little harshly. (She can't even get this right, how stupid does she have to be?)

The flames on her hand twist around her head (and it's unclear whether she's trying to hurt herself, or whether the flames are trying to provide some measure of comfort).

"If I say yes?" her voice is shaky, brittle, and almost entirely helpless.

"Then I call someone to come get you, and they get you settled in at the school and make sure you get decent prenatal care and talk to you about your options. I can stay if you want or go if you want."

She's silent for a moment, part of her trying to gauge what the right answer here is, but...

But she doubts she'll be able to get access to any prenatal care on her own. (She wants to be a good mum.)

"Please?" she says eventually, somehow both hesitant and desperate. (She'll deal with the cost when it comes to it, it'll be worth it, no matter what it is.) "I- I can-" she doesn't even know what she was going to try and offer, to not take up space, to help around the school (there must be chores that need done), anything.

"It's okay," she says. "--Do you want a hug?"

She can't even answer that. She doesn't (really) want to be touched. But...she's seen how other people are comforted by hugs, can't help but wonder if...(if not every contact had to hurt, one way or another.)

She shrugs, because she doesn't know.

...She leans over and tentatively settles an arm around the other girl's shoulders.

She's tense, waiting for something...worse.

But this isn't bad. She doesn't exactly relax, but she leans slightly into the contact. (It's almost pleasant.)

She wraps her arms around her in a proper hug.

She flinches at the motion at first, and then let's herself lean a little more into it.

Then she's crying (it's all too much, and everything is starting to catch up with her). She manages a barely-coherent apology (she can't imagine the other girl likes being cried on by a complete strange, never mind someone like Blaze).

Edie strokes her hair gently and makes soft comforting noises.

That stirs some barely-remembered memory, from when she was very young, of someone holding her like this. It makes her cry harder, but not exactly in a bad way.

Eventually, her sobs die down, and she's just waiting, too exhausted now to even really think straight, or actually pull away.

Edie continues hugging her.

"Thank you," she says quietly, still making no move to withdraw. "I- what now?"

"...I see if I can figure out where to find a pay phone without stopping hugging you?"

Oh, she actually knows the answer to that.

"There's one on the corner of the street," she says quietly. "About five minutes from here?"

She beams at her. "Thanks, that'll save me some time. Are you up to getting up and walking or should I get my sister to come over here and call?"

"I- I can move," she says - not entirely certain of that fact, but she's already somehow interrupted one person's day, it wouldn't be good to do that to another person. She'll manage.

She takes one look at her face and says, "I'll get my sister, it's fine."

She flinches and goes tense again. "No, I can, you don't need to-" (she's such an inconvenience), "please, I can."

"It's fine," she says soothingly. "You're pregnant, you shouldn't move if you don't feel like you should, what if something happens to the baby?"

She stops arguing there, one hand resting on her stomach again. There's a bolt of panic at the idea of harming her baby, and she shakes her head slightly. "You- I- I don't want to harm them," she sounds surer about that than she has about anything else. (She's still unsettled about someone else being inconvenienced, but her concern for her child wins out.) "Thank you."

"It's fine. This is what we do." (She pings Emily and summarizes the situation. Emily excuses herself and starts heading over.)

She breathes out slowly, and takes a moment before drawing another breath in. (It helped her stay calm sometimes.)

"I- can I- know your name?" she makes herself ask. "I- you don't. S'fine if you don't."

"I'm Edie. What's yours?"

"I- Blaze," when they bothered to call her anything other than 'girl'. (She liked it as well.)

"Oh, that's pretty."

She ducks her head a little - more shy than scared - her skin colouring slightly. No-one's ever said anything like that before. "Thank you," she murmurs.

"You're welcome."

She falls silent, hand still resting on her stomach, fingers tracing gentle circles. She doesn't really have any idea what else to say - it's not like she's ever really had much reason to try and hold a conversation.

After a little while Edie says, "I can feel the baby, if you want me to show you."

"-you can?" she sounds almost excited (like she's trying to hide her excitement). "I would...like that? Please?" she says, almost eager. Then she bites her lip, realises... "If it's...not too much trouble?"

"It's not the slightest bit of trouble," she says, and--shows her.

It's a sense completely different from the ones she already has, and there is a vague impression of her own mind, grown and complex, alongside the tiny, simple, loving spark that is the baby's largely unformed mind.

It's a little disorienting at first, but then there's a look of complete awe on her face, she's hadn't even...

It's incredible, feeling that. Feeling her baby's mind. (She already loved them, but now it feels more.) She'd been right, her baby was a person, and that's enough to make her smile, just a little bit.

"Thank you," she says, again, Edie is giving her so much (she'll worry about the price of this later, right now she's too focused on what she's being shown).

"You're very, very welcome."

Blaze stays where she is, feeling at the very least content, maybe a little happy, and almost safe. Which is strange, to not feel like she's on the verge of doing something wrong, of the inevitable punishments. She lets her eyes close, she's so tired. Maybe Edie won't mind if she just sleeps for a little while?

Edie will definitely not mind if she sleeps for a little while.

Then she will sleep, a little restlessly. With how exhausted she is, she'll probably sleep until something wakes her up.

Will she wake up if someone picks her up?

She will, flinching, and trying to get away, flames unintentionally bursting off her skin. (Although she manages to stop them fairly rapidly.)

She goes still (as much as she wants to keep trying to escape). "sorrysorrysorry," she babbles. (It never helped.)

"It's fine!" a girl says. "I was just trying not to wake you, I'm sorry."

She blinks at little, not having expected another new person, and at the apology (no-one bothers apologising to her). She looks around for Edie (although her gaze never really makes it past knee level). "I-s'fine?"

Edie is right here.

"This is my sister, Emily. Sorry, the car arrived and we didn't want to make you wake up to get in it."

She relaxes a little when she sees Edie, and a little more when she speaks.

When the car is mentioned, she bites her lip (she agreed to this, but she's still scared about what's going to happen next), and manages to get (somewhat unsteadily) to her feet. "S'fine," she repeats quietly, waiting for some further instruction.

Edie wraps an arm around her shoulder, half to comfort her and half to make it easier to walk.

The car is just outside, there is a man who looks like Edie sitting in the driver's seat and looking at all three of them with concern.

She leans a tiny bit against Edie (it does make walking easier).

She flinches when she see the man, and shrinks further into Edie's side, almost trying to hide.

"That's my dad, he won't hurt you. I wouldn't let him if he tried, which he won't," she says, hugging her a little tighter.

Blaze doesn't pull away, or really relax, but she seems at least a little reassured. (Anyone who raised someone as nice as Edie couldn't be that bad, she doesn't think.)

She'll let herself be guided towards and into the car, but doesn't seem entirely capable of moving without someone encouraging her to.

Edie is absolutely capable of guiding her.

Then she will be guided. She seems unfamiliar with cars (whenever she'd been taken out before, they'd always walked, and when she ran on foot had been her only option). She'll try to stay as close to Edie as she can, the other girl feeling the safest of these new people.

She can sit right next to Edie in the back seat.

That seems to help her relax a little, and she leans into Edie. If no-one tries to speak to her, she's probably going to drift off into sleep again. (It's been a while since she's had a chance to sleep without one eye open.)

No one talks to her.

Eventually they will get where they're going and the car doors will open again.

She flinches awake again, but is a little less panicky this time, more startled and a little disoriented.

She looks around herself, trying to get an idea of her surroundings (and also of what she's supposed to do next).

They are outside a rather large building in a mildly castle-ish style surrounded by a large lawn, and then trees.

Oh. Wow. That is...big. And a little intimidating. (And pretty.) And parts of it look far too flammable (she doesn't want to do anything that might make them think she's too much trouble).

She swallows thickly, before sliding out of the car. Unguided this time, but still not entirely steady. (Her hands have flames flickering off them, and she folds them together, half trying to stop it, half trying to hide it.)

"Oh, is that what you do? Fire? It's lovely."

She flinches again when he speaks to her, looks at her hands. (She'd always thought her flames were pretty before...)

"Yes sir," she agrees. Then, hurried: "I can control it better, I promise." (The way the flames on her hand leap as she speaks don't suggest her words hold as much truth as she would like.)

"Don't worry. You should have seen Alex when he was just starting out."

She isn't entirely sure how to respond to that, and settles for a slightly lost: "Yes sir."

"Da~ad, you're scaring her. Let me handle it."

"Alright. I'll see you later. Love you."

"Love you too, Dad."

He leaves, ruffling Emily's hair as he walks past.

It isn't obvious that she's watching the interactions, but she is. They confuse her a little, the casual seeming affection, the lack of any fear at challenging an authority figure (telling their father what to do), and him acquiescing.

She twists her fingers together, looks between Edie and Emily. "I- what now?" (She doesn't exactly like asking, but she hates not knowing.)

"...Well, we need to find you a room, first thing, probably. One with room for a cradle and stuff."

"I-" she bites at her lip. "Don't need-" much, a room, a bed, she'd made do with a mattress in a corner back at the church, and wherever she'd been able to hide while she'd been on the streets.

"...You've seen how huge this place is, right? There is going to be absolutely no trouble getting you a room."

"I- sorry. Okay," she looks up at the mansion again. It is big. (There must be so many places she can hide.) She'll still wait for Edie or Emily to lead the way - she doesn't know the rules yet.

"--It's fine. We'd find you a room even if it wasn't huge."

She blinks a little, and then nods. It still doesn't make sense to her, why strangers would be this good to someone like her. (There has to be a price.)

"Thank you," she says instead of anything else. (And there is nothing there except genuine gratitude, because they didn't have to do any of this and they have anyway.)

"You're welcome. Do you have any preferences?"

She shakes her head. She's never really thought about what she'd want if she had a room. Wouldn't say she did even if she had, that they're giving her a room at all is enough. (It would be nice to be somewhere out of the way, she thinks, maybe be able to see the grounds.)

"Okay. Do you want to see some possibilities and pick?"

"I- I'll be fine wherever you put me?"

"I'm sure you will. But it will help me decide if I know what you think, and there are plenty of options."

"O-okay," she agrees quietly. (If it'll help, she'll try.)

Edie loops an arm around her shoulder again and takes her around to see empty rooms, mostly out-of-the-way ones with views of the grounds. There are options on several different floors, and a couple of them have balconies.

They pass a lot of kids in the halls, some of them walking, some running, some alone and some in groups, some looking perfectly baseline and some with very visible mutations.

She's not good at providing preferences, although she does try. However, she definitely seems to prefer the ones on lower floors, and while the ones with the balconies catch her attention, she flinches away from the idea of taking that much.

Her reaction to the kids is mostly to shrink a little into Edie's side again (too many new people), although there is no discernible difference in her response to those who appear baseline and those who have visible mutations.

Edie picks a room for her on the second floor with a balcony.

"I-" She wants to argue, because this is too much. (But she didn't decide. Edie did. Surely that makes it okay?) "Thank you," she says instead. "I. Thank you." She manages to stop herself from saying that several more times as she looks around the room. (Still next to Edie.)

Edie hugs her. "You deserve this, okay? You've been through a lot of awful stuff, but things get to be better now."

The idea of deserving this feels wrong. (She hasn't done anything to earn it.)

She presses her eyes shut as she leans into the hug (and cautiously wraps her arms around Edie in return). It hadn't been that bad, really (had it?), she hadn't liked what had happened, and she hadn't liked being hurt, but... She needed to be disciplined when she messed up, and she had owed them (they hadn't had to give her a roof over her head).

"I don't know what happened to you," she murmurs, "but any situation that leaves you a pregnant runaway at fifteen is not one anyone deserves. Ever."

She shudders slightly. "They were going to-" she starts (because she's convinced now that that was what they were going to do). "They said it was a sin, but they were going to make me. And I couldn't let them." (She doesn't know why she's saying this to Edie, but she couldn't have stopped the words falling from her mouth if she tried.)

"That's evil of them," she says firmly. "I don't know who they is, but I can say with high confidence that they were bad people."

She starts to shake her head, because: "They looked after me," she insists. "I just- I couldn't let them do this. She's done nothing to them!" (But there's some doubt to her insistence now, because that they would want her baby dead before she was even born feels wrong to her, especially when she knew they thought abortion was a sin.)

"The fact that they raised you does not entitle them to do whatever they want to you," she says firmly. "If they told you it does, they didn't say it because it's true, they said it because they wanted to do whatever they wanted without you knowing you're entitled to decent treatment. Maybe they thought it was true, but if so they thought it because they were evil, not because it is."

She bites at her lip. Edie sounds so sure about that. (But if that's true, then...)

She shudders again, and her arms tighten slightly before she realises she's practically clinging to Edie and she makes herself loosen her grip. "I- okay," she agrees - she doesn't sound entirely convinced.

"You can hug me as tight as you want, I'm not going to break."

Her arms tighten again and she finds herself crying again. (She's not normally this prone to tears.) This is all just too much, and Edie's being too nice.

(Through her tears she's alternately managing apologies for crying, and 'thank yous' for just...being there.)

Edie hugs her and murmurs soothing nonsense and pets her hair.

It takes less time for her to stop crying this time, perhaps more because she's run out of tears than the fact that she's really done crying. She stays leaning against Edie, knowing that at some point she needs to ask what happens next (wants to know what to expect), but half-hoping she can just...not have to deal with it for a little bit longer. (And Edie is warm, and comforting.)

Edie guides them over to the bed so they can cuddle sitting down instead of standing up.

She goes tense when she realises where she's being guided (was this the price?), but she still goes pliantly. And being off her feet would be nice.

Edie stops the instant Blaze goes tense. "Are you okay?"

"Yes?" she doesn't sound at all certain. "I. Did you. Want something?"

"--I just thought it would be more comfortable to hug sitting down."

"...oh." That hadn't been an option she'd thought about. And...it probably would be. "I- probably?" (She doesn't really have enough experience with hugs one way or the other to know.)

"What did you think--oh. No. I wouldn't do that to you."

She flinches slightly. "Sorry. I-" She isn't even sure why she's apologising (except she got something wrong, but she doesn't know exactly how that assumption was wrong, even if Edie's saying she wouldn't.)

More hairpets. "It would be a seriously awful thing to do to try to have sex with you right now. For anyone."

That gets complete confusion. "...Why?" She flinches slightly, apparently she hadn't actually meant to ask that.

"Because you've been hurt and you obviously don't want it?"

That doesn't seem to help with her confusion, if anything, it makes it worse. What she wanted didn't matter, not when she owed people as much as she did. "N-no other way to-" (pay people back).

"Of course it matters. It always matters."

She's trembling now. "But why?" the question is desperate, wanting this new information to somehow make sense with what she'd been told before.

"...Sex is something--intimate. Having it when you don't want it--it hurts people, very badly. Having sex with someone against their will is called rape, and rape is a very evil thing to do."

The trembling intensifies, and Blaze is suddenly intensely aware of the flames underneath her skin, and pulls away quickly. (She doesn't want to burn anyone.)

"It wasn't," she insists (just because she hadn't wanted it, didn't mean she hadn't asked for it).

"Okay. I'm not saying it definitely was. But--even if someone says yes, if they're not doing it because they want it, it can still hurt them, and you shouldn't do it if you notice that they don't."

There's flames flickering over her hands again. She swallows thickly. "O-okay." (Edie seems so sure about this, but it still doesn't fit quite right in her head.)

"So. We should probably get linens and switch out the mattress."

"I- the, the mattress is fine," she says (it will be), but she isn't going to argue with linens (it might be selfish, but she doesn't like being cold).

"...The mattress that's currently on that bed isn't fireproof."

She blinks. "You have...fireproof ones?"

"You think you're the only fire hazard in the school? Yeah, we have fireproof mattresses, and sheets and pillows and blankets and so on. And clothes."

She shrugs a little. "Hadn't...thought about it," she admits quietly. "I- Didn't realise it was possible." (She'd gotten used to the consequences of accidentally burning things.)

"It was actually less inconvenient to do the R&D than to keep replacing stuff that got burned."

That does make sense. (And something in her relaxes knowing that she won't be damaging anything that needs replacing.) "I- can I help?" she offers quietly.

"Sure."

That seems to make her relax a little as well - knowing that she's not just letting other people do these things. The flames on her hands have died down again as well. "Thank you," she says.

She'll follow Edie's guidance again to wherever they need to go.

There is a huge storage room with a whole bunch of bedding stuff in it. Edie leads her there.

"Do you have any aesthetic opinions on the sheets and blankets? It's fine if you don't, but it's no more bother to take a prettier one over a less-pretty one."

She thinks about it, and then shakes her head. Then, it's not an aesthetic preference but... "Warm?" she requests very quietly.

"Of course. Here, these sheets look pretty cozy, and that's a very warm blanket over there...you carry these and I'll get the mattress? I think I read somewhere that pregnant women aren't supposed to carry heavy things."

She almost argues, but if she's not supposed to (if it might hurt her baby), she won't, and she's not entirely sure she could anyway. So she'll take the sheets and blanket with a nod, and another quiet 'thank you'.

"You're welcome. It's not seriously inconvenient, if it were I'd ask someone telekinetic to deal with it."

"Oh," she says again. (She keeps forgetting that there's other people like her here, who can do useful things.)

Back to the room?

Yep. Edie hauls the old mattress off the bedframe and pushes the new one onto it.

Blaze immediately sets about making the bed up with practised efficiency - apparently this is a chore she is very familiar with. It won't take her long to be done. (Although at one point she hesitates, slightly light-headed.)

"Are you okay? --Shit, when was the last time you ate?"

Blaze can't immediately answer that question, and is almost automatically flinching at that. "Yesterday?" she sounds almost like she's guessing. "I needed the money," she repeats what she'd said earlier in the room. "I tried, but."

"Okay, the bed looks fine for now, let's get some food in you."

Her fingers twitch a little, like she needs to finish with the bed, but... She is hungry.

"Please?" she agrees, going to follow Edie.

"Definitely," she says, and leads her down to the kitchen, and explains that she's been literally starving and let's not invoke refeeding syndrome, and acquires for Blaze situationally appropriate amounts of miscellaneous tasty foods.

She stares at the food, because it is still more than she's ever been handed at once before, or perhaps just more varied? She's not sure.

She looks up at Edie, needing to make sure this is right, that this isn't some kind of trick.

"Go on," Edie encourages her.

Then she'll eat, trying to eat slowly (not really succeeding very well), one arm curled to protect the plate from anyone who might try to take it off her. (She's watching anyone who moves around her.)

Edie observes this and moves to hover behind her so if anyone tried to take the food they'd have to deal with her first before Blaze.

It doesn't take her long to feel full. She frowns at what's left - it's not much, but it's still wasteful, and she doesn't want to seem ungrateful.

"--We have a compost pile, anything you don't eat won't go to waste."

"I- I'm full," she admits. "I- thank you. It was. Good." (It was, she's pretty sure, the best meal she's ever had.)

"I'm glad. Let me know when you feel hungry again, alright? You definitely need to work your way up to eating bigger meals, for the baby's sake. But doing it too fast would be worse."

She nods, resting one hand briefly on her stomach, before gathering up her plate, intent on clearing up her mess.

Edie shows her where dishes go.

Being able to do something does seem to help her relax, make her feel like she's at least doing something towards being given all of this.

She looks at Edie. "I. You said. Something about someone talking to me?" She thinks she remembers that being a thing. (And she feels like she's put this off long enough.)

"Yeah. I could probably do that, if you felt more comfortable, or I could find someone more official."

She shrugs. "I- whatever's easiest?" (She thinks she would prefer Edie, but if Edie's there, she's not going to mind either way.)

"Okay. I can do it. Let's go somewhere more private."

She follows Edie again (she's looking around as she does, mapping where she's been taken and how things link together, and looking for hiding places that people might overlook).

There sure are some of those.

Edie takes her to a quiet window nook overlooking the lawn; private enough that they won't have dozens of involuntary eavesdroppers, but public enough that if Edie tried anything there would be witnesses.

She likes the nook, likes the view over the lawn. She looks cautiously at the seating and takes a step towards it before stopping to look at Edie, to check she's okay to sit down.

Edie smiles and makes an inviting gesture.

Blaze takes a seat, and can't quite stop the relieved sound that escapes her as she settles off her feet.

She looks towards Edie, attentive and waiting.

"So," Edie says, sitting down next to her. "What do you want to do with your life?"

Blaze shrugs. It's not an easy question to answer. "I- never thought about it. Knew I'd just.." Keep doing chores around the church, serving them as they needed her to. "Now...be a good mum." It's not much of a want, but it feels like everything right now.

"Okay," she says, even though it is absolutely not okay that she's been treated like this so far. "Do you have any opinions on what you want to do in the near future?"

She is silent for a moment and then shakes her head. "M'sorry."

"It's fine. It's absolutely fine. Don't worry about it."

She bites at her lip, and then breathes out. "Never had to think about it," she mumbles.

"I know. And that's awful, but the point of you being here now is for things to stop being awful, and that means not penalizing you for the aftereffects of things having previously been awful."

This can't be real. (She desperately wants it to be.)

"Okay," she agrees, because she doesn't know what else she can say. Except, again: "Thank you." (Always show gratitude.)

"You're very much welcome," she says. "Anyway, the simplest thing would be to formally enroll you, figure out what you already know, and start you in classes."

"I-" she curls down on herself. Enrolling her is a waste of time. She knows she doesn't know anything. She can barely read (there wasn't any point in her being taught, she didn't need to know, she'd done her best to teach herself off whatever was around, but...) She wants to learn.

"Whatever's...easiest?" She's terrified that they'll realise she's not worth what they're giving her.

"...You don't have to do this, but you can. This is what we're for."

"I want-" she starts before cutting herself off. (What she wanted didn't matter.) "There's other options?"

"If a classroom environment isn't right for you, we could do off-the-books tutoring, or if you just want to spend time decompressing or something without having expectations put on you, that's fine too."

She isn't used to having any options. Never mind so many. She doesn't know how to make this decision. "I- don't-" She wants to learn, but... (what if she can't?)

Gently: "You don't what?"

"...I don't know. What. To do?" She doesn't quite flinch, but she closes in on herself more.

"Okay. Do you want a hug?"

She's still for a moment, and then gives a very small nod.

Edie hugs her.

Blaze leans into the hug, closing her eyes, and sinking into the (strangely) safe feeling. After a moment, she very quietly, almost inaudibly, says: "They never let me learn."

"That's because they were evil," she says firmly. "You can learn anything you want to, here."

Her breathing hitches a little, (she still can't accept they were evil), but at Edie's words, Blaze clutches at Edie. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou." (She's still not sure she can, just...even being able to try.)

Edie hugs her and pets her hair.

She smiles a tiny bit, and doesn't seem inclined to move any time soon, not unless Edie seems to need to, or they're disturbed.

Edie doesn't need to go anywhere at all.

It's strange, being full, and feeling safe, and not having a list of chores she has to accomplish (there has to be something she should be doing). She has a hand resting on her stomach again, as though she might feel her baby moving.

Do you want me to show you again?

She's a little startled, hearing Edie in her head, but then she nods eagerly. Please?

The baby is so so tiny, and its mind isn't very complicated yet.

But it loves her.

She isn't sure how something so tiny, and so good and so pure can love her, and it's overwhelming to feel. But it is incredible, and she silently tries to send back just how much she loves her baby to them, because they need to know, even if they don't know anything else, that she loved them as much as she was able.

Edie happily transmits this for her.

She let's out a breath that manages to sound almost happy, relaxing as much as she is able into Edie. Her baby is incredible already, she just hadn't realised how incredible.

She doesn't say anything out loud, but there's more gratitude and awe directed at Edie.

My parents got to do this with me when I was little. I think every person who bears a child should get to have this.

It's incredible, Blaze agrees. She feels a little sad that there are parents out there who don't get to feel this.

And in the corner of her mind, a harsh voice (masculine, familiar with its biting disdain and fury) asking why she gets this when so many other more deserving people don't.

I wonder what they'll be able to do.

She hadn't even thought about that. How likely is it?
That they'll...be able to do something? She isn't scared of the idea, but she doesn't want her child being told what she was told. (It won't be true of them.)

Oh, they definitely will, mutant and non-mutant minds feel different.

Her fingers stroke over her stomach, and she quietly hopes her baby's powers are easy to-

It hadn't occurred to her, before, what Edie had been doing knocking on that door. ...you. is that how you-? She tries to keep focused on her baby as much as possible, tries not to think too deeply about what was interrupted, tries to stay calm about this.

How I found you? Yes.

She's not sure how she feels about that. Mostly...

I- sorry. You had to. See. any of that. And for inconveniencing Edie - picking up a pregnant whore (that's her voice and a dozen other voices whispering in her ear) was definitely not why Edie had been near enough to her to find her.

She continues to try and stay focused on her baby. (She isn't entirely sure Edie will keep letting her feel this.)

Edie continues letting her feel this.

There's nothing wrong with performing survival sex work. There isn't even anything really wrong with doing sex work for non-survival reasons. And it wasn't why I was in range, but it is absolutely why I came any closer than "in range."

And she is so grateful for that.

There's definite confusion again, about why Edie would've come any closer. (Although Blaze is obviously trying not to question it, and is definitely grateful she did.)

Because you were hurting, and I wanted to fix it.

People didn't just do that, especially not for people like Blaze. you shouldn't have bothered, even silently it's a mumble. (And she believes that, even while being selfishly glad that Edie did bother, which make her feel bad.)

I just do that. And I'm glad I did.

Blaze leans a little more against Edie, thank you.

What had she managed to do that meant she deserved this?

You don't have to do anything to deserve to be okay.

But she had been okay. (Hadn't she? Edie seems pretty certain she wasn't.)

Okay, she agrees.

Your emotional affect wasn't okay at all.

sorry, (that you had to feel that). That...until now, that was the only way she'd been, really. She hadn't-

...but Edie's going to tell her that's bad? Given how she's reacted so far. Blaze tries to hide that train of thought, about not knowing how else to be.

You being okay is more important than me not having to notice unpleasant emotions. I wouldn't want to be coddled like that anyway.

Oh. She doesn't seem to have any other idea how to respond to that, and instead, falls silent.

Edie continues to hug her.

What do you want to learn?

Blaze thinks about that, isn't entirely sure of the answer except one thing. I- don't know, she admits. But reading would be nice. (And there's a flush of shame, because as much as she never questioned never being taught, she knew that not knowing at her age wasn't normal.)

Oh, of course.

She's a little startled by just how easily that's accepted (a little startled no comment's made about her lack of ability).

She presses her lips together. And...know it's not. Academic. But. How to- about pregnancy? And parenting?

Yeah that's important, I should probably take you to the clinic sooner rather than later.

They won't make me-? (She doesn't think Edie would let them, but she needs to be sure.) And the idea of people poking and prodding at her definitely doesn't appeal. (It's for your baby, she reminds herself forcefully.)

They definitely won't make you.

She visibly relaxes at that. I- when? If it has to happen, she'd definitely prefer it to be sooner rather than later (but whenever is convenient is fine, she doesn't want to be a bother).

In a little bit, I've let them know about you--we don't have someone pregnant around all the time, so there's some stuff for them to get out of storage.

You...have a clinic? Mixed in with that is confusion that a school would have a clinic that could handle someone who was pregnant and concern about them going to that hassle for her (she's not worth it).

This is a home as well as a school. I was born here.

Oh. That. Makes more sense? She thinks. She bites at her lip again. Will you...stay with me?

While you're at the clinic? Yeah, absolutely.

That definitely seems to comfort Blaze. (Edie wouldn't let them hurt her, she'd said she'd stop her father if he tried) Thank you.

You're very much welcome.

If there's nothing else Edie wants to discuss right now (she hopes there's not, she's starting to run out if answers except what seems to be the wrong ones), Blaze will continue to lean against the other girl until they have to move.

Edie will absolutely cuddle her in silence for a while. (And, of course, continue acting as a conduit between Blaze's mind and the baby's.)

And she'll have Blaze's gratitude, and awe, and delight, all muddled together with her awe and delight and love for her baby. (Along with a very unfamiliar feeling of being happy, although Blaze can't truly identify that yet.)

Blaze does such a good happy. Edie is so glad to be able to do this for her.

She (accidentally, completely unconsciously) snuggles a little further into Edie's side. She's distracted enough with her baby that she doesn't even notice.

She's so cute!!!

She seems content where she is, and for now isn't worrying about anything.

Eventually she'll start getting hungry again, though it's a familiar enough sensation that it doesn't even occur to her to tell Edie about it.

Edie is maybe slightly monitoring her autonomics.

"Hungry?"

Blaze blinks at the question, and takes a moment to realise-

"I- yes," she ducks her head. "Sorry. I- You said to tell you."

"It's fine. You were distracted by something awfully fascinating."

She couldn't deny that if she wanted to. She doesn't want to. (There'd never been an excuse for being distracted before.)

She doesn't seem exactly eager to move, even as she starts to pull away.

Edie lets go and then stands and offers Blaze her hand.

Blaze looks up at her cautiously (not really properly looking up at her), and then cautiously reaches out to take the hand, starting to push herself to her feet.

Edie helps her to her feet.

"Thank you," she says quietly once she's on her feet. (She'll continue to wait for Edie to lead the way, she can probably find her way back, but she still doesn't think that she's allowed to.)

Edie leads her back to the cafeteria where they can acquire another suitably-portioned meal for her.

Despite Blaze being fairly certain this was the plan, she still can't help but be startled when it actually happens. She's not, however, going to argue, or refuse. (It was strange, actually being full, but it was pleasant, and she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.) She manages to eat a little slower than before, although she's still wary of anyone taking it off her.

Edie assumes a guard position again.

Blaze is a little more aware of that this time, a little more aware of just how much of Edie's time she's been taking up. She stares at her plate. "I- If you have. Something else you...want to do. I'll. Be fine," she says quietly.

"I assure you there's nothing more important I could be doing right now than making sure you're okay."

That still doesn't feel right. (She is never the most important thing.)

She can't tell if she's full again, or if she's lost her appetite, but either way, she's finished eating, so she'll clear her dishes up, trying not to think too hard about this right now. (At some point, she's going to have to start paying them back.)

Well. She'll get it eventually.

The clinic is ready for her not long after.

She curls in on herself when she's told that, and moves slightly closer to Edie again. (She knows she has to do this, for her baby, but she's still a little scared of what exactly is about to happen.)

Edie hugs her.

She leans into the hug. "You're still- staying with me? Please?" She's shaking slightly.

"Definitely absolutely." Hug hug hug.

She doesn't exactly relax, but she's definitely reassured. "Please?" (can we get this over with.)

"Of course," she murmurs soothingly.

The clinic is white and sterile, and contains one person; a man who looks almost like an anthropomorphic blue lion or something.

She shrinks into Edie again, trying, a little, to hide behind the other girl. (And while the man looks intimidating, it's more the fact that he's a new person and male than his actual appearance that is causing the reaction - his appearance does in fact get the faintest flicker of curiosity, and his fur looks so soft, and it's a pretty colour.)

"This is Dr. McCoy," she says. It's okay, I'm right here.

Dr. McCoy would like to start by checking her height and weight.

She'll move pliantly where instructed, trying to keep Edie in her field of vision. She seems a little reluctant to stand up straight to be measured, but does.

She's a little bit shorter than would perhaps be expected for her age, and definitely too far underweight for her height.

Dr. McCoy is somewhat alarmed by how underweight she is! She definitely needs to gain weight. Like, a lot of it.

She flinches at his alarm, closing her arms in around herself, apologising. (No-one's ever been concerned about her weight before.)

"It's not your fault," she tells her firmly. "We just have to fix it, is all."

She nods, a little unsurely. "I- okay."

She waits for the next instruction.

The rest of the checkup is not entirely comfy but Edie stays the whole time and hugs her at appropriate moments and at the end she has a prescription for prenatal vitamins.

She's definitely relieved when the checkup is finished, and more than a little worn out from just how on edge she's been the entire time. (Edie being there helped, a lot, but didn't make it exactly easy.)

"Um, why?" she asks of the prescription. (It's another thing they're giving her, another resource that could be better used elsewhere, surely?)

"...For the baby's health."

"Oh," she says, ducking her head. That- That she can (and will) take. The cost doesn't matter if it helps her baby. "I- thank you."

"Just take care of yourself, alright?"

She blinks, a little startled, and then looks down, confused but somehow touched by the concern (she's not worth it). "I-I will, sir," she agrees, nodding. (She'll try at least.)

Edie hugs her again.

She leans into Edie, hugging back. "Thank you for staying," she mumbles, not really caring if she's overheard.

"You're entirely welcome."

Blaze manages a small smile. (It's weird, and nice, having her gratitude responded to like that, like it wasn't just a given that she'd be grateful, like Edie was glad to help.)

She doesn't ask if they can leave, waits for Edie to tell her they can, but definitely wants to.

They can totally leave. Edie snags a lollipop from the can by the door and offers it to her.

She blinks at it, and then looks at Edie in confusion. "...what?" Apparently she hasn't encountered lollipops before, at least not close enough to recognise one when it's handed to her.

"This is a lollipop. It's a piece of candy on a stick." She takes the wrapper off. "D'you want it?"

She blinks at it again and her fingers twitch slightly. She nods a little hesitantly. (People in the church had eaten candy, although she'd never got to try it, they'd seemed to enjoy it.) "Please?"

She hands it over.

She takes it, and hesitates before sticking it in her mouth and sucking on it. Her first impression is that it is almost sickly sweet. (She's never really had sugary foods before.) Her second impression is that it isn't, under that, unpleasant, although she can't quite decide if she likes it or not.

"Thank you," she says again. (She somehow feels more genuine in saying that than she did back at the church.)

"You're welcome."

She smiles a little up at Edie (and in the smile is a hint of adoration, because Edie is incredible).

She's part way through the lollipop when she yawns.

Edie checks the time. "We should probably get you off to bed."

She wants, a little bit, to argue, to figure out what they want from her, what she can do. But she's tired. (More tired than she has any right to be given the two naps she's already had today.)

Still, she nods. "Please," she agrees.

Back to her room, then, and Edie hugs her goodnight.

Blaze hugs back. "Thank you, for... this. Good night."

"You're very welcome. Good night."

Then Blaze will, after talking herself into getting into bed (which is far too comfortable), sleep.

She wakes up, earlier than even her usual early hour. For a moment, she's completely lost, and a little panicky in her far too nice surroundings. Then she remembers what happened yesterday, and where she is.

She's never been one for being idle (has never had it as an option, really). Once she's had a moment to breathe, she gets up, and leaves the room silently, looking for something that needs doing - cleaning supplies would do, there was always cleaning to do.

If she cares to poke around for a while she can find cleaning supplies in a hall closet.

She's careful while looking, but she does find the cleaning supplies.

She considers her options. Figures she may as well start with dusting (old building like this, dust probably settles everywhere) and work from there. So she grabs dusting materials and sets to work in the hall she's in, before moving on to other public rooms.

There is some amount of dust around but much less than there would be if the building wasn't swarming with children.

Well. That'll just make her job easier. (And she is already thinking of the cleaning as her job.) She looks at the floors critically. She doesn't exactly want to wash them (the water wasn't comfortable on her skin), but if they have kids constantly running over them...

The floors aren't filthy. Not spotless, but not filthy, either.

Her fingers twitch. It's fine, it's fine, it's a school, it doesn't have to be-

(She flinches at the thought of what would happen of she didn't. Can almost hear the yelling.)

Okay. Bucket. Sponge. (It'll be fine.) She needs to find a tap to fill the bucket.

Well, there are bathrooms.

Well. It'll do. She fills the bucket as best she can from the sink, and sets about cleaning the floors. Despite the discomfort every time she dips her sponge in the water, it's strangely meditative to be doing this.

She'll work as methodically at this as she did at the dusting.

Eventually a boy who looks about ten years old with purple hair and webbed fingers finds her.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

She flinches a little when he speaks. "I- cleaning?" she says, gesturing at the bucket and sponge (she would have thought that was obvious?). She's careful not to stare (no-one liked being stared at), although she's observed his fingers and is quietly wondering if his hair colour is natural.

"Why?"

She looks down. "I-" Shrugs a little. "It needed doing?" (And it was something she could do, that was useful, that might pay them back a little.)

He shrugs. "Whatever floats your boat."

She blinks, sits back on her heels. "I- should I not be?"

"It's kinda early in the morning to be doing something like that, don't you think?"

"I didn't wake you did I?" she asks worried. "I was trying to be quiet." (She thought she had been being quiet.) "I- better to get it done before people get up?" (And maybe she'd been awake earlier than usual, but that just meant she had more time to get it done..)

"You didn't wake me or anything, it's just kinda weird."

She flinches slightly at that. "I- was awake? What else was I supposed to do?" she sounds a little lost, and a little desperate.

"Uh, I dunno, read a book, watch the sunrise? Most people don't clean for a hobby."

"...I- hobby? It's not- it's something useful I can do?"

"I mean, if you wanna help out, that's sweet, I guess."

She relaxes a little, feeling a bit less off-kilter (doesn't say it's not so much about helping out as paying back). She isn't sure what else there is to say, but doesn't go back to scrubbing the floor, fairly sure that would be considered rude.

"What's your name?"

"Um. Blaze?" she hears the question in her own voice and repeats herself a little bit more firmly. Pauses. She doesn't think it's rude to... "Yours?"

"I'm Kevin. I don't think I've seen you before, are you new?"

She nods, a little hesitant. "I guess so? I- came here yesterday?"

"Yeah, that's new."

That...wasn't quite what she meant. But she isn't sure how to actually explain what she actually did mean. She drops her sponge back into the bucket. (Having her hands free let's her wind her fingers together.)

She half wants to ask about the school, but isn't even sure what her questions would be.

"You okay? I can go if I'm bothering you."

"I-" she blinked. "Not used to. People talking to me?"

"Uh. Shit, I'm sorry, man."

"...why're you apologising?" 'To me' goes unsaid, but is fairly implied by Blaze's look of utter confusion.

"...You look like you've been through some pretty bad shit."

She shrugs. People keep saying that, and she doesn't get it, they don't know her, not really, don't know what she deserves. "I guess?"

He shrugs awkwardly. "If there's anything I can do..."

Blaze bites her lips. "The rules? No-one's told me any?"

"Uh--don't run in the halls, don't cheat on tests, don't hit the other students or teachers or whatever unless it's a consensual training exercise or something, don't use people-affecting powers on others without their consent?"

"...that's it?"

"I could be forgetting something?"

"Oh. Just seems. Easy?"

"I mean, yeah, if rules are hard to follow there's probably something wrong with 'em."

"...there is?" She looks, a little bit, like that simple statement has shaken something fundamental. (She'd always thought she was just too stupid to be able to.)

There's flames flickering around her fingers again as she winds them together.

"Yeah."

"Oh," she looks at her flickering hands. She can feel the flames trying to get away from her, trying to wind up her wrists.

She reaches into the bucket, under the pretense of reaching for the sponge again. She hisses as the flames die under the water, skin feeling burned in a way it never did from heat.

And this is when Edie walks up.

"Hey, I felt you were awake. ...What are you doing?"

She pulls her hands out of the water, barely remembering to grab the sponge. "Cleaning the floor?" she more asks than says. (Her hands are steaming slightly.)

"You really don't have to."

"...I was awake?" she says. "I- thought it would be helpful?"

"Well, you weren't wrong. It just--I didn't want you to think you owed it to us. You don't. You don't owe anybody anything."

That...isn't right. She doesn't think?

"I-" she looks briefly up at Edie, trying to gauge the correct answer here. "As you say?" she says eventually.

Edie sits down on the floor beside her and hugs her.

She goes briefly tense before leaning into the hug. "M'sorry?"

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Okay," she murmurs. She reaches over to drop the sponge back into the bucket. "I should..." she says quietly, gesturing to it.

"Hm?'

"I- either finish the floors, or- or put the bucket away?"

"Right, that makes sense."

She still hesitates, not entirely sure which she should do. (Her hands hurt.) "I-" She can finish the floors later, she's sure. "I'll. Put the bucket away?" (It's more a request for permission than anything else.)

"Okay--what's wrong with your hands?"

She flinches a little, and folds them together. (She doesn't want to give this away, it's far too easy to use against her.) "I- water sometimes. Hurts. Especially if I- if I'm...if the flames are. There."

"Okay. Well. If you want to be helpful, I can find something for you to do that doesn't involve water. Or at least find you some rubber gloves so you don't have to touch it."

She looks startled. "I- That would be. Good?"

"Good." Hug.

She leans into the hug, briefly hugging back. Then she slowly draws back, and starts getting herself to her feet, gathering up the bucket to put it away.

Edie also climbs to her feet.

It doesn't take Blaze long to have the bucket emptied, the sink rinsed, and the supplies back where she found them. Then she stops, clearly at a loss as to what to do next.

"Breakfast?"

She reminds herself that both Edie and Doctor McCoy think she needs to eat more. (It isn't greed, it isn't.)

"Please?" she says with an almost-eager nod.

"Of course." Breakfast is served from the same kitchen as her last two meals.

Blaze is as grateful for this meal as she has been for the others.

Edie also acquires breakfast. "Sorry if I was pushy, back there."

Blaze tilts her head. "...pushy? I- were you?" Did it matter if Edie had been? She isn't sure the apology makes sense. (No-one apologised to her.)

"About the cleaning thing."

"Oh. I-" she shrugs. "I. Didn't think you were?" She's pretty sure she's supposed to say something else here, but she isn't sure what. "I- it's okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

And it feels weird to hear that. "You're- welcome?" the words feel strange to say.

Edie beams at her.