<hr/><div class="floatleft">(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/0d/9f/5a/0d9f5af13c932977d4e3b048e13f14da.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Conner 'Tidalwave' Almasy (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=261894.msg13091869#msg13091869)<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Inside the bar<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong>September 9th, Evening<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Bridges (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=261894.msg13062037#msg13062037)<br/><strong>Content:</strong>Meeting an old friend.<br/><hr/><br/>He smiled as he took in Bridgette, silently noting all sorts of differences about her.  The lack of feathers or zombie face or any number of other things was readily apparent.  She could, at times, look like something out of a dozen horror movies and they actually had a lot of fun messing with people by having her turn into creatures they feared and using that for their own amusement.  Now it was clear that she'd left that behind and grown up just as he'd done.  And it seemed that time had been very kind to her, making her only more beautiful than she already had been and he realized that any man that she might have was a lucky one.  He thought about asking, but decided it was probably too soon for that one.<br/><br/>As Bridgette talked, he realized something else that was different.  Beta was remaining quiet on the other side of him, sipping on her wine.  Normally, or at least in the past, he should've realized, they had both talked and it could be very overwhelming for someone that didn't know her.  It had actually taken Conner a while to get used to her, but he'd managed and it hadn't hurt when she'd toned herself down around him once they grew more and more comfortable together.  He found that he'd missed that comfort a great deal and often regretted that he'd gone as far away as he had.  He probably could've gone to a school closer to see her, but he hadn't.<br/><br/>Still, even when he'd left, they'd kept in contact at first.  Neither of them cared much for phone calls, but they had taken to sending letters back and forth.  The letters talked about any number of things.  His schooling or her escapades or just how they were feeling about certain things in the news or around them.  Sometimes the letters just went on about how they missed the other and wished that they could be closer so they could still be around the other.  Conner had to admit that he had always eagerly awaited her next letter and her liked to think that she felt the same way about letters from him.<br/><br/>He wasn't entirely sure when the letters had stopped passing between them or who was the one that had forgotten to send one, but he did know that it had been several years since the last letter that had passed between them.  More than once, he'd thought about sending her another letter and starting the chain fresh, but the truth was he'd been so busy with his education, he had done his best to justify not doing so, ranging from he wasn't sure she was still here to she clearly didn't miss his letters since he hadn't heard from her and several other excuses.  But now that he was sitting there with her, he regretted all those excuses.<br/><br/><strong>"You've learned to cook, have you?"</strong>he said with a smile as he sipped at his wine, taking the bottle to refresh his glass,<strong>"Well perhaps one of these nights, you can cook for me.  It would be a refreshing change of pace from cooking for myself or just getting takeout."</strong>He grinned as he looked at her, knowing that she would do it.  Bridgette hadn't ever really been able to resist doing something he asked her to do just as he had never fully been able to resist doing what she asked him to do.  They just had that kind of friendship where they trusted the other and did what the other wanted or needed seemingly without question.<br/><br/>When they started to talk about what she'd been up to, he listened with interest.  Her being able to fly was an interesting trick, but she was never a combat orientated mutant and he didn't like the idea of her being out there.  But that thought was taken away when she used the word empathy and he couldn't help but chuckle at how clear that came out despite her usual accent.  He knew that she had put a lot of work into the word sounding correct.  And when she mentioned that she was teaching, he looked at her with a bit of a surprise. Bridgette had never really struck him as the teacher sort, but then it had been nine years since they'd seen each other and he was still getting used to her changes.<br/><br/>When she mentioned the courses she was teaching, he understood.  If anyone understood the human mind, he felt that it was Bridgette and those courses clearly suited her.  Then she talked about hard sciences and he couldn't help but chuckle.<strong>"No, the hard sciences are what he brought me back for,"</strong>he said with a smile,<strong>"I have degrees in chemistry, physics, and geology and I'm here to teach the students these subjects.  It should be interesting, especially if we could find a way to teach both our subjects at the same time."</strong>He smirked, knowing that would be next to impossible, but the idea of working with Bridgette on something like that appealed to him.<br/><br/>Then it appeared that Bridgette had run out of things to say and then it was Beta who took over and he turned his head to give her the proper attention.  And when she mentioned that he looked good, he smiled.  It was true that he looked much better than he used to.  The years had given him a maturity and slight amount of ruggedness that he needed to go from a fairly attractive young kid to a handsome man.  But despite knowing this, it felt good for someone to tell it to him.  Especially someone that he'd once been so very close to.  And for him, they didn't get much closer than Bridgette, and Beta by extension, had been to him.<br/><br/><strong>"Well I appreciate it,"</strong>he said with a smile at Beta,<strong>"And I must say, I'm not the only one looking good.  Both of you just look amazing.  I'm struggling not to drool and I've known you both since we were younger.  I'm honestly jealous of whatever lucky bastard is calling you his these days."</strong>He smiled as he looked at them, the subtle question left there for them to decide whether or not they wanted to address.  After all, it was entirely possible that she was seeing someone now as part of this new her that he was getting to know.  In fact, he would be surprised to find her still single, or as single as one could be when they could sleep with themselves anytime they wanted.<br/><br/>Regardless of her answer, or lack of one, he was still so happy to see her.  And given that he'd never been much of a drinker, the two glasses of wine he'd consumed in just a few moments, were making him relaxed and happy, or at least happier than he already was.  So he easily changed the subject.<strong>"So how long have you been teaching?"</strong>he asked her,<strong>"Any tips for the new guy or warnings about any students that could cause me trouble?"</strong>He was eager to have a bit of advice that could help ease his transition into a teacher here and he knew Bridgette wouldn't hesitate to give him that advice.