Escaping the Chaos (Open)

[wisdom]

“The former thankfully, the latter not so much.” Pete had only contemplated that kind of course of action three times in his life, and obviously each of those three times he’d gotten past the ordeal. Of course that wasn’t to say that dark kind of feeling didn’t still lurk in the corner of his mindscape, constantly reminding him of all the people he’d hurt, all the action’s he’d done, and all the things he could never be. Still, nothing about Pete’s life would ever be easy, so why take the easy route out? “Luv, sometimes it feels like I don’t have any of the answers. But I know what you mean,” he paused to take another drag on the cigarette and stared intently at his hands. “What you see, is what you get. You’re strong darling, stronger than I’d probably ever hope to be. Not just with your powers either, but you’ve got... I can’t believe I’m going to say this... Spiritual strength, and that’s pretty rare – especially in a girl your age.” He smiled wryly and gestured to himself, “Sometimes you don’t want to see what you get, and that’s not self depreciating or any such claptrap. Sometimes things are just the way they are because of the things we do, or did.”

“True having a sunny disposition can be frightening to some,” He shrugged once more and his smile grew slightly wider at the thought of being frightened of the younger mutant before him. “But I suppose that makes your codename more apt, eh? Much better than being named the Fearinator or something equally trashy that half these kids seem to go with these days.”

“Sounds like a diverse degree, and they say education is going to hell these days.” He leant further backwards onto the large motor vehicles side, tilting his head up to regard the ceiling as he listened to her talk. “You’re one up from me, Luv, I can’t even sing in the shower with or without the words. Tone deaf as a bloody post, much to the chagrin of my mother. Always wanted a musician in the family, instead she got the bally anti-Christ of musical talent.”

[Sunshine]

Penny just nodded in understanding. "I never thought of the latter, but I felt it. You know what I mean? I would never actually want to do that, but sometimes I felt it." This was getting a bit depressing but she was kind of glad to be able to talk about it. Although she was beginning to wonder if she was wearing out her welcome. She took another drag off the cigarette and looked up at him. "I'm not usually this depressing and I'll understand if you just want me to shush it." Her head tilted when he told her she was strong and she actually laughed. "I think everyone is stronger than they believe. It's like when it comes to good qualities, you never see them in yourself but you can see them in others around you. Like you, I think you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. I mean there's obviously things that you've done or seen that you'd rather forget, and instead of crawling in a bottle or popping pills you are still standing. That says a lot more about you than you think." She reached up and patted him on the shoulder, and she hoped he found the peace he seemed to want.

"Beware evil doers everywhere or I will happy you to your doom!" That made her start to giggle pretty hard. "If that were the case, my name would have been Fear Factor, but then I scare them without my gift, because I'm sweet and sassy and I will 'friend' you until you are locked up in the loony bin." It felt good to laugh. "I'm very well educated. I never said I could sing, just that liked to. I like to dance too. You don't have to be good at something to like doing it." Although now she was curious as to how he actually sounded when he sang.

[wisdom]

“You’re not usually depressing? Luv, you’re named sunshine and it happens to be a pretty damn apt name, few would ever confuse you with being depressing.” He threw his cigarette onto the floor to join its likewise fallen comrades, and once more stamped the life out of it. It was slowly turning into a veritable mound at this rate, not to mention his packet was depleting away. “Mostly done, darling, mostly done. And don’t be so sure about me not crawling into a bottle, I’ve been in more than my fair share over the years.” He shifted his gaze back down to the floor, giving himself a rueful shake “Still, can’t complain, eh? If it had all gone smoothly, I wouldn’t have been able to come to the wonder that is Xaviers.” The last part sounded almost bitter, but it was gone almost as quickly as it arrived.

“Fear Factor, ‘s kind of catchy I suppose. I’m still waiting for approval on Captain Awesome, but some reason I just can’t see Xavier authorising it.” Pete pulled a mock face of confusion why that would be the case before letting his expression revert back to its usual smug grin. “Never seen much point in codenames myself, but my power isn’t really one that lends itself easily to that I suppose, least not to one I’d care to carry around with me.”

“You did in my house, you were either good or you did something else.” He pulled a slight face recalling all the something else’s he’d been forced through as a child. It was probably one of those reasons he hated new things so much. “So, you said something about wanting to get a car?”

[Sunshine]

"I know a shock, right?" Penny grinned over at him and was happy that things were starting to lighten up some. Though she had to admit it was good to feel more like herself again. "But you didn't stay there. If you did then you are a really good functioning alcoholic." A brow went up when she said that, as telling him she made her point. Really she had no clue, he could be a functioning alcoholic but she wouldn't believe it. Again she patted his shoulder. "It'll be alright, Mr. Wisdom. I don't think you'll be stuck here forever. You'll find that one thing that you want to do and will do it." Sunshine was back in full force now, and she truly had Mr. Wisdom to thank for that. "Thank you, Mr. Wisdom. I guess I really just needed to talk things out. You know?"

Penny giggled. "I'll vote for that. Put up a poll, but then the other guys will think they deserve that codename. I think mine is more of a nickname, I just don't know if it was meant as an insult or not." Honestly, she never really thought of them as codemanes, but more like nickmanes so she kind of saw his point. "Yeah, but you have a cool name anyway. I mean, Wisdom, come on." She grinned up at him. Her smile dropped a bit at the look on his face when he mentioned his childhood and she just wanted to give him a hug, but she didn't think that would be a good idea. Lord only knew what people would say. Without thinking she started picking up the butts after she put her's out and looked for the trash. "Eventually, I'd like to get a car yes. Probably something like a Ford Taurus."

[wisdom]

“Nah, while I don’t mind the odd drink... or three... now and then, I’m not exactly crawling back to a bottle every night.” He rubbed the nape of his neck absently and glanced up at Penny, “Thanks luv, but I’ve already done what I want to do, but that’s behind me now, for better or worse. No use in constantly looking over your shoulder at what should of been, or what shouldn’t of I suppose.” He shifted awkwardly as she thanked him, he hadn’t really done much. He’d just talked. Something that he’d always done to excess he supposed, probably one of the (many) reasons that had led to his subsequent leaving of the Service. He never knew when to shut his mouth, always had to be there with a snide remark and have the last word.

“Nickname, Codenames, it’s all the same I suppose. Just seems to be as a way of distancing yourself away from the real you while you’re running around in blue and yellow spandex.” He’d never really got exactly what was up with Xavier’s choice in X-men attire, but then again he was strictly a leather jacket, shirt, and black trousers kind of guy. Maybe with a tie just to mix it up, you had to look smart these days after all. “Wisdom. Suppose in one way it makes my opponents wonder what exactly my power is. And there’s always the reason that Xavier hired me so that he could legitimately say he had Sage and Wisdom.”

His childhood hadn’t been all that bad, just not all that good. He’d constantly tried to rebel from his overly stuffy parents, who for all intents and purposes labelled him the black sheep and failure of the family. He supposed they weren’t too far wrong with their assessment. “Ford Taurus, eh? My first car was a Vauxhall Corsa... A real wreck of a car, but most first cars are... I suppose that’s the reason why you never forget it. “

[Sunshine]

"Optimist here, remember?" She grinned over at him and really did hope that he would find something that will make him happy and ease whatever it ill he's feeling, on the emotional level anyway. Now that would have been a great ability to have, to ease someone's emotional pain. But then she'd be like a drug and they'd keep coming back and, gosh darn it.

"I have problems then. I don't wear spandex, we have this hate hate relationship going on. Oh no, just.... it gets very ugly. Things get shredded, the room gets a mess... Just.. no." She shuddered at the thought. She giggled at his comment about Sage and Wisdom. "That's probably true. Maybe they think you are some sort of psychic so when you burn them, it really spooks them. You do have a cool name. I mean, Penny isn't short for even Penelope, and Lake, is just... Well yeah."

Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what kind of car the Vauxhall Corsa was. "What kind of car is that? I almost want a clunker just because you are supposed to have one as your first car. You know, all normal and all."

[wisdom]

Pete smirked and pointed to himself, “Pessimist. Makes life more interesting, you either get to say ‘I told you so’ or you get a pleasant surprise.” Whatever emotional pain the former spy was feeling, he probably would never have it simply eased away. Sure it sometimes got to the point that looking himself in the mirror was akin to having your nails pulled, but just to trade it away would just be... Wrong. Sometimes emotional pain was there to remind you of what you did, and more importantly not to do it again.

“I would, but you know blue and yellow just aren’t my colours, luv.” Truth be told there wasn’t a paycheck high enough to convince Pete wisdom to even entertain the idea of running around in spandex, regardless of the colour. Some things you just had to say no to, and spandex definitely fell into that category. “Cool name? Peter Paul Winston Wisdom, yeah, super cool.” He grinned and winked at the younger girl as she mentioned her name, “Luv, if it was short for Penelope I’d probably have to make an obligatory Thunderbirds joke, so count yourself lucky, eh?”

He pulled a confused expression when she asked what type of car a Vauxhall Corsa was, before remembering that the small car had never really made it Stateside. “Ah, it’s kind of a three door hatchback, least mine was, really smallish car. I think mine was at least half my age by the time I got my hands on it.” He almost laughed as she wanted to own a clunker, instead gesturing at the range of expensive cars. “Darling, trust me when I say sometimes being normal is under rated, just because it’s the done thing doesn’t make it the right thing.”

[Sunshine]

"You do have a point there. But as an optimist even when something bad happens I'd see something good. Kind of like being in a room full of horse dookie and believing a pony had to be there somewhere. Oh golly, I'm so misguided." She dropped her head, but not before she giggled. "But then our failures and mistakes shape us as much as a our triumphs and successes do, right?"

Her head tilted to the side. "Maybe if it were black and something looking like a business suit. You could always join the men in black." She'd bet he'd make that outfit look good. Fortunately, she was smart enough not to say that one out loud. "I've never seen Thunderbirds, but thanks for the warning." Penny grinned over at him. "Wow, you have a long name. But I was talking about Wisdom alone makes your name cool."

Penny tilted her head back and forth as she thought about it. "I guess you're right. What kind of foods do you like? Especially snack foods, that way I know and can make some. I already know you like Benson and Hedges, and I can buy those." She seriously doubted they'd ever have one of these little chat sessions again, even if she did like it. It was nice to be relaxed when talking to someone.

[wisdom]

Pete laughed softly at her analogy, he supposed he’d never thought of it that way. Then again, he wasn’t too sure if he’d want to in all honesty. Pessimism and realism seemed to go hand in hand, while optimism was definitely with the dreamers and idealists. Still it wasn’t a bad thing to dream, to want to see something good he mused. “In all honesty I think only failures and mistakes shape you as a person, succeeding just reaffirms it in a way. Few people seem to learn by succeeding first time, but you’d be surprised what a good balls up will teach you.”

“Men in Black, eh? Well I would, but I don’t think all that government agent malarkey is me, luv. No, I’m just a simple history teacher that happens to be able to double as a lighter when in a fix.” Besides even with half the weird and unexplainable crap he’d come across during his time with Mi6, the idea of aliens was pretty laughable, let alone a secret agency set up to tackle said problem. He tugged on his leather jacket and gestured to his tie, “I’ll just stick to dressing like this thanks , and let you kids run around in all the fancy costumes or whatever.”

“I’m not really much of a snack eater to be honest, luv, I feel the urge to smoke more than snack.” He shrugged slightly and patted his stomach softly, “But then again, I probably ate more than enough snack and junk food during my youth to last me a lifetime, my mother wasn’t exactly what you’d call a gourmet chef by any stretch of the word.” Not only that but he’d spent much of said youth avoiding going home, so much of his meals had to be junk food related. And much of his meals during the service had also been pretty basic, none of that James Bond fancy ballroom dinners like the movies show, but rather simple on the fly grab-what-you-can-and-be-thankful variety. “I’m quite fond of spicy food, but other than that... I’ll pretty much demolish anything you put before me, I can pretty much stomach most things without complaint.”

[Sunshine]

"You have a point there. I don't really care for people who always get what they want without ever having to work for it. You know what I mean? The ones who never fail because other's make sure that doesn't happen. It just causes them to think they deserve to have everything handed to them. Then you have us regular Joes and Janes who know what it's like to be disappointed and we appreciate what we get and what we do even more. So, yeah, I guess you are right. Score one for the teacher." She grinned up at him.

Penny just shrugged and grinned. "Hey teachers are heroes too you know. Very important heroes too. I mean if it weren't for teachers then who would save those of us that wanted to be saved?" Now of course the student needed to want to be saved anyway. It was the teachers that gave them the means to get out of whatever hell they were stuck in. "Nice jacket. Made the one I have. Leather is so hard to work with but so worth it in the end. If you ever need it patched up just let me know. If I can't fix it, I'll make another one." Penny was a creative little thing and loved to make things. Which was why she loved cooking and fashion, most don't realize what works of art they can be.

"Don't think I'll ever get tired of snacks. But I'll remember you like spicy. But, what kind of spicy?" Most would look at her as if she'd lost her mind, but there were different styles. You had, Cajun, Asian, Mexican, straight pepper, and all that other types. She didn't want to make the wrong kind.

[wisdom]

Pete wisely chose to stay silent on the topic, having been one of those who had things practically handed to them with a silver platter. The Wisdom name, while not as well regarded as it once had been, still carried a bit of weight behind it when used in certain circles. Then again, he’d been more interested in rebelling from his parent’s control rather than expecting anything from them. “Law of Averages, darling... Speak enough crap, and chances are some of it might be worthwhile.”

“Heroes? Yes, I run around in my tights and cape on a daily basis.” He grinned and cocked his head to one side. “Teacher is just a word to describe our profession, luv. Doesn’t automatically make us a card carrying member of the Avengers or whatever poxy super group is running around these days. We can be just as much of a villain as the next prat.” He smirked and tugged on the leather jacket once more as she complimented it, “An old leather boutique Bond Street in London, or at least thats where I got it from... Not too sure if it’s still there, mind. It’s probably older than me to tell you the truth.” He’d worn it through thick and thin, in all manner of weather too, practically since the day he’d brought it. If Pete Wisdom was superstitious in any sense, it was in regards to this particular Jacket.

“Luv, to quote my father, as long as it’s hot enough to melt the tarmac of the M4, it’ll be alright by me.” He’d developed a love for hot and spicy food while overseas, and quickly learnt that with enough spices you could practically eat anything... Quickly cementing its status as the ideal found for a man that couldn’t cook to save his life. Of what he did manage to cook could rarely be consumed by anyone else, but having yet to settle down that just suited Pete fine.

[Sunshine]

"Law of Averages. Well that certainly explains why sometimes I sound like I have common sense. I tend to talk out my rear a lot. It's when I actually try to say something intelligent that it's an epic fail." She giggled a bit even as she noticed he didn't respond to her comment. "Did you expect to have everything handed to you, or did they just do it? Even so, you work for it now." She was just taking a stab in the dark here, but she wasn't sure she was too far off of him being a rich boy.

Penny frowned a bit when he made fun of being a teacher. To her it was one of the most important jobs a person could have. Good teachers had more of an impact than people realized. "A teacher, at least the good ones, they can counteract a lot of the bad things that a kid might go through. It's amazing how much impact an adult has on a kid, when they actually care what happens to them." It was something that Sunny had learned since coming here. They cared here and were willing to help and that meant so much to her. She nodded at his comments about his jacket. "Like I said, if it ever needs some TLC then just bring it to me and I'll take care of it for you."

A grin touched her lips when he described the spiciness of the food. "Alright, so instead of an apple, I'll put some really spicy Curry on your desk. They'll call me a suck up, I just think of it as being nice." Regardless of what they say, Penny isn't a suck up, she's too genuine.

[wisdom]

”Darling, you probably have the most common sense I’ve ever had the fortune of meeting. That said, it wouldn’t hurt you to lose just a little of that. Too much of a good thing and all that.” Then again with a bit more common sense he’d probably not gotten into half as much trouble as he’d gotten into as a kid. “Mostly handed to me I’m afraid, of course I did elect to throw it back in their faces with a few choice words added to the mix.”

“It takes a bad teacher, darling, a good one wouldn’t have done half the crap their students would have, and so wouldn’t even have a clue where to begin pulling them off the beaten path.” The other part of her sentence caused him to pause for a few seconds however. Someone like him leaving an impact on a kid? He wasn’t too sure if he liked the idea of that too much. The thought of a kid growing up using him as an example of what not to do, sure that was fine. He could live with that. But as an example of how to grow up? That was definitely a different story. He laughed once more at her insistence on repairing his jacket should it ever be damaged. “Sure, I’ll do that.” Of course that jacket had been through the rinsers more times than he could probably count, in fact he doubted that much of the worn looking item was actually the same as when he’d originally brought it.

He grinned at the mention of putting a curry on his desk instead of an apple, causing him to pat his stomach and add in a lamenting tone. “As fun, not to mention as tasty, as that sounds, I think I might have to pass. As I said, too much of a good thing and all. ‘sides, wouldn’t want to give you a bad reputation, eh?”

[Sunshine]

Maybe he was right, it tended to get her into trouble. What was she thinking, just being her tended to cause issues. "Not sure it's something I can control though." Her head tilted as he spoke and she nodded. Yes but he's not expecting it now, he's working for things, and obviously he didn't really expect it then either. Penny wondered if he would ever see that he had become a good person, even with his flaws.

"We are the sum total of our experiences. You made your mistakes, recognize them, and can see when we are doing the same thing. You're a good teacher, and a good man. You regret anything you might have done that wasn't so good, but you accept that fact that they were your mistakes. You don't try to blame others unless it was truly their fault. At least that's the vibe I'm getting, so tell me where does this make you bad?" She looked up at him and sighed softly.

"OK, so I won't put it on your desk. But I may casually mention when I'm making it. You know, just making conversation and all." Penny grinned and then shrugged. Then it would be his decision on if he wanted any or not.

[wisdom]

Pete probably would never realise, or even entertain the idea that he could ever be a good person. Self-loathing seemed to be ingrained from the get go, heavily reinforced by all the things he’d done over the years. He reached for another cigarette, only to find the packet empty. A sour expression graced his face.

“Sometimes just because you recognise your mistakes, they don’t just simply up and disappear.” He frowned and ran a hand through his hair, “As much as you’d want to think it, luv, I’m not a good person.” He shrugged and grinned slightly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Hell, on my best days I might rate an average. The point is, just because you know you mess up isn’t the same as making amends for them, understand?” He frowned at how that had just sounded, he was never really good at this kind of speaking... A skill that just seemed to get worse with a lack of cigarettes to distract him from the fact.

“I’d appreciate that, but don’t go out on a limb on my part. Not many share my fondness for hot cuisine, so it will probably largely go to waste.” That and Pete just wasn’t much of an eater, probably due to the smoking largely taking precedence over his hunger pangs.